Model 1
|
|
U.S. Navy N2Y-1 with "looped" left mainwheel radius rod
|
Role
|
Recreational and training aircraft
Type of aircraft
|
Manufacturer
|
Consolidated
,
Fleet
|
Designer
|
Reuben Fleet
|
First flight
|
9 November
1928
|
The
Fleet Model 1
(originally the
Consolidated Model 14 Husky Junior
) and its derivatives were a family of two-seat trainer and sports biplanes produced in the
United States
and
Canada
in the 1920s and 1930s. They all shared the same basic design and varied mainly in their
powerplants
.
Development
[
edit
]
The
Fleet Model 1
and its derivatives were all orthodox
biplanes
with staggered, single-bay wings of equal span and fixed
tailskid undercarriage
. Accommodation was provided for two in tandem, originally sharing a single open cockpit, but in most examples in separate open cockpits. The fuselage was made of welded steel tube with triangular-layout
Warren truss
construction pattern side structures typical of the time, and the wings had a wooden spar with duralumin ribs, the entire aircraft being fabric-covered. Despite a superficial resemblance to Consolidated's highly successful
Trusty
and
Husky
designs (hence the "Husky Junior" nickname), the Model 14 was an all-new design.
Originally created as a means for Consolidated to enter the civil market, the company abandoned this ambition shortly before the completion of the first prototype. The manufacturing rights were purchased by designer and Consolidated company president
Reuben Fleet
to put into production under his new enterprise,
Fleet Aircraft
. It was an immediate success, and in the first year of production alone, over 300 machines were sold. Consolidated quickly responded by buying Fleet Aircraft and retaining it as a subsidiary while opening a second production line at
Fort Erie, Ontario
, Canada. The Canadian manufacturing was a great success, with some 600 examples built for the
Royal Canadian Air Force
as the
Fleet Fawn
(Model 7) and
Fleet Finch
(Model 16).
A small number of U.S.-built machines were purchased by the U.S. military, including a batch evaluated by the
United States Army Air Corps
as the
PT-16
but not bought in quantity. One initial prototype aircraft and six subsequent specialized production
N2Y
trainers were purchased by the
United States Navy
. These N2Y-1 aircraft were equipped with hooks to catch the trapeze on two
U.S. Navy
airships, the
USS Akron
and the
USS Macon
.
The N2Y-1
parasite aircraft
were used to train pilots that would subsequently fly the longer distance single-seat
F9C Sparrowhawks
reconnaissance aircraft. The two-seater N2Y-1 also acted as service aircraft, flying passengers to the inroute airships.
On July 6, 1930, future air racer and movie stunt pilot
Paul Mantz
flew a Fleet Model 2 biplane through 46 consecutive outside loops, an international record which stood for almost 50 years.
[1]
United States manufacturing rights were eventually sold to
Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
, which intended to produce the
Brewster B-1
based on the Canadian
Model 16F
.
Variants
[
edit
]
- Consolidated Model 14 Husky Junior
- prototypes (ca. five built)
- Fleet Model 1
- initial production version with 110 hp (82 kW)
Warner Scarab
engine. Approximately 90 built, including one for US Navy for evaluation as
XN2Y-1
.
[2]
- Fleet 1 Special
- One aircraft modified as testbed for 95 hp (71 kW)
Menasco Pirate
B-4.
[3]
- Fleet Model 2
- initial production version with
Kinner K-5
engine. 203 built in US for civil market, with 13 built in US for Argentina and limited production in Canada.
[3]
- PT-6
- USAAC designation for Model 2 (16 built)
- N2Y-1
- USN version with trapeze hook for airship docking training (six built). One converted to floatplane as
XN2Y-2
and then converted to
autogyro
as
XOZ-1
.
[3]
- Fleet Model 3
- based on Fleet 1 with 150 hp (110 kW)
Wright J-6
engine. Two built.
[4]
- Fleet Model 4
- version with 170 hp (130 kW)
Curtiss Challenger
engine. One built.
[5]
- Fleet Model 5
- version with 90 hp (67 kW)
Brownback C-400
engine. One built.
[5]
- Fleet Model 5
- Designation reused for Kinner K-5 powered version of Fleet 10. Six built in US for China. Built in Canada as Fleet 10A.
[5]
- Fleet Model 6
- Testbed for 165 hp (123 kW) Continental A-7 radial engine.
[5]
- Fleet Model 7
- version with
Kinner B-5
engine (48 built, plus several converted from
Model 2
by Fleet in Canada)
- Fleet Model 7A
- Fleet Model 7B
- Canadian production version
- Fleet Model 7C
- Canadian production version with
Armstrong Siddeley Civet
engine
- Fleet Model 7G
- Canadian production version with
de Havilland Gipsy
III engine
- XPT-6
- One
Model 7
acquired by the US Army Air Corps for service tests. Version with 100-hp Kinner R-370-1 (Kinner K5) engine
- YPT-6
- ten aircraft similar to the XPT-6, used by the US Army Air Corps for service tests and evaluation
- YPT-6A
- modified version of the
Model 7
fitted with an enlarged cockpit. Used by the US Army Air Corps for service tests and evaluation
- Fleet Model 8
- three-seat version similar to
Model 7
(seven built)
- Fleet Model 9
- refined version of
Model 8
(12 built)
- Fleet Model 10
- refined version of
Model 7
for export to Europe, replaced the 1928-origin "looped" portside main landing gear radius rod of the Models 2 & 7; with a center-hinged design for both mainwheels, using a V-form transverse
cabane strut
to provide the hinge-point.
- Fleet Model 10A
- version with 100 hp Kinner engine
- Fleet Model 10B
- version with 125 hp Kinner engine
- Fleet Model 10D
- version with 160 hp Kinner engine
- Fleet Model 10-32D
- generally similar to the
Model 10D
, but with an increased 4-ft 0-in (1.22-m) wingspan
- Fleet Model 10E
- version with 125 hp Warner engine
- Fleet Model 10F
- version with 145 hp Warner engine
- Fleet Model 10G
- version with
de Havilland Gypsy Major
engine for governments of Portugal and Romania; ca. 70 built in
Romania
by
ICAR
- Fleet Model 10H
- version with
Menasco C-4
S engine
- Fleet Model 11
- version with
Kinner R-5
engine; some exported to Argentina, China and Mexico
- Fleet Model 14
-
Model 2
modified for participation in
Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition
but disqualified; ca. 300 license-built in Romania by
IAR
.
- Fleet Model 16
-
Fleet Finch
- strengthened Canadian production version with sliding canopy, powered by a 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine (ca. 600 built)
- Fleet Model 16B
-
Fleet Finch Mk II
- Strengthened Canadian production version, powered by a Kinner B5 engine
[6]
- Fleet Model 16D
- similar to the
Model 16B
, but fitted with a Kinner B5 engine
- Fleet Model 16F
- prototype for Brewster B-1
- Fleet Model 16R
-
Fleet Finch Mk I
- designation of the
Fleet 16D
built in Canada for the RCAF
- Fleet Model 21
- armed version built in Canada for
Mexican Air Force
(11 built)
- Fleet Model 21M
- designation for a one-off demonstration aircraft
- Fleet Model 21K
- redesignation of the
Model 21M
, after it was subsequently sold to a private buyer
- CATA 150
- Argentinian glider tug modification with 150 hp (110 kW)
Lycoming O-320
engine. First example flew 5 June 1971. At least two converted.
[7]
Operators
[
edit
]
-
Argentina
-
Canada
-
China
-
Mexico
-
Romania
-
Turkey
-
United States
-
Paraguay
Surviving aircraft
[
edit
]
- Israel
- 200 ? Model 1 airworthy at Paradive Aviation Gallery at Habonim Airstrip. It is registered as 4X-AAF, was manufactured in 1929, and is powered with a Kinner B-5 radial engine.
[
citation needed
]
- Paraguay
- E-15 ? Model 2 airworthy with the Yvytu Flight Club. A veteran of the
Chaco War
, it was donated Paraguayan Air Force in 1990. It was formerly registered as ZP-EAL.
[
citation needed
]
- United States
Specifications (Model 2)
[
edit
]
Data from
General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors
[13]
General characteristics
- Crew:
2
- Length:
20 ft 9 in (6.32 m)
- Wingspan:
28 ft 0 in (8.53 m)
- Height:
7 ft 10 in (2.39 m)
- Wing area:
195 sq ft (18.1 m
2
)
- Empty weight:
1,063 lb (482 kg)
- Gross weight:
1,820 lb (826 kg)
- Fuel capacity:
55 US gal (46 imp gal; 210 L)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
Kinner K-5
5-cylinder
radial engine
, 110 hp (82 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed:
113.5 mph (182.7 km/h, 98.6 kn)
- Cruise speed:
88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
- Service ceiling:
12,200 ft (3,700 m)
- Rate of climb:
730 ft/min (3.7 m/s)
References
[
edit
]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
"Paul Mantz"
. Archived from
the original
on 2007-09-27
. Retrieved
2007-07-01
.
- ^
Wegg 1990, pp. 56, 58.
- ^
a
b
c
Wegg 1990, p. 56.
- ^
Wegg 1990, pp. 56?57.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Wegg 1990, p. 57.
- ^
Air Trails
: 29. Summer 1971.
- ^
Taylor 1973, p. 4
- ^
"AVIONES DE ENTRENAMIENTO DE LA AVIACION NAVAL - CONSOLIDATED "FLEET" MODELO 11"
.
Histarmar - Historia y Arqueologia Maritima
(in Spanish). Fundacion Histarmar.
Archived
from the original on 24 September 2015
. Retrieved
2 May
2015
.
- ^
Aircraft List of Turkey
Archived
2016-03-03 at the
Wayback Machine
(Ger), as of 2012/09/02
- ^
"Airframe Dossier - Consolidated-Fleet 2, c/n 181, c/r N605M"
.
Aerial Visuals
. Retrieved
25 August
2021
.
- ^
"Fleet Model 1"
.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
. 25 April 2021
. Retrieved
25 August
2021
.
- ^
"FAA Registry [N649M]"
.
Federal Aviation Administration
. U.S. Department of Transportation
. Retrieved
25 August
2021
.
- ^
Wegg 1990, p. 58.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Links to related articles
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Manufacturer designation
| |
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By role
| Trainers
| |
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Observation aircraft
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Fighters
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Patrol
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Bombers
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Transports
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Reconnaissance
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Powered aircraft
| |
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Gliders and motor gliders
| |
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Under licence
| |
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Series 300 (helicopters)
| |
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Series 800
| |
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IAR Projects
| |
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IAR Engines
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Advanced Trainer
(1925?1948)
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Basic Combat
(1936?1940)
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Basic Trainer
(1930?1948)
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Primary Trainer
(1924?1948)
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Main sequence
(1948?present)
| 1948 redesignations
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New designations
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Alternate sequences
| 1962 redesignations
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1990? sequence
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1
Not assigned •
2
Assigned to multiple types
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USN
/
USMC
trainer aircraft designations pre?1962
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N-series
(1922?1948)
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T-series
(1948?1962)
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- 1
Not assigned
- 2
Assigned to a different manufacturer's type
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USN
observation aircraft designations, pre-1962
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Observation
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Observation Scout
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